Running Is For The Chosen...Myself? I Wasn't Chosen

When I was in high school, I had a coach that was relentless about my running during the fifty minutes each day that I was forced to spend with him. We would all dress out in those wonderful gym shorts and t-shirts and hit the track.

I admit I abhorred it, but being the good student that I was, I made an effort to run when I was told. Okay, it may have been a slow trot, but there was effort.

After all, there was the preservation of my cosmetics to be considered. I mean good Lord.. What girl wants to go to her next class with mascara running down her overheated red face, hair gone wild, and smelling like the great outdoors?

Was that ever good enough for this man? Nooo it was not. He would run behind me and yell wonderful things like "Arlene/Darlene! Pick up those knees!!"

You see, I have a twin sister. The coach had her in his class during another period of the day, and I'm not sure if it was that it was more convenient for him, or if it would have put him on academic overload to get to know us and address us as individuals, but either way, He chose instead to just combine our names. Nice.

This torture went on until one day when I was with my counselor and we were choosing my classes for the next year and she asked me the most wonderful question I had ever heard.."P.E. or Music?" I was so thrilled, I was stunned into a momentary silence.

When I found my voice, I said "Do you mean that I have a choice next year?" She said "Yes, that's right." Lord have mercy I think I heard the angels singing in that moment it was so glorious.

Well I just about yelled out the word music at the poor woman. She then asked "Band or Chorus?". I had a fleeting thought about band, but there were a few problems with that choice.

1. I had never even so much has played that little plastic flute thing they give you in elementary school.

2. The only instruments I had heard of girls playing at that time were flutes and clarinets, and those would just make putting on lip gloss pointless.

3. You had to perform at halftime during football games making socialization impossible.

4. The uniforms looked hot and unflattering. Decision made! Chorus it was!!

Fast forward a few years. I had gotten married and had my daughter. I was back in shape and feeling pretty good about it. I had been walking for several miles each day, and riding a stationary bike as well. That's when I heard that coach in the back of my mind saying "Arlene/Darlene! Pick up those knees!"

Suddenly I thought, I can run. I just wasn't interested in it during school because it was hot, and I would ruin my makeup before my next class. That did it. I was on a mission. I got in the car and went right to the mall. I purchased some very cute, yet proper, running attire and I went back home and I suited up.

I marched myself into the den and said to my husband "Let's go". He asked "Where are we going?" I replied "we are going over to the high school. I am going to run around the track."

When he grew tired of laughing, he drove me to the school. I walked over to the track and he propped himself against our car and prepared to watch.

I was so clueless! I had no idea that you should stretch before you ran, or that you might want to pace yourself. I took off full throttle and began my run.

One quarter of the way around the track I found myself doubled over with severe side pain and gasping for breath. I was so upset. I mean I was in shape, or so I thought. I was twenty something!! What in the world was the problem?

Well, at that point my husband asked, while laughing shamelessly, if I was alright. I had no choice but to shout, between my gasps for air, "Just get the car." As I stood there waiting for the car to arrive, my intense side pain subsided, and I was able to regain the ability to draw breath.

It was at that point that I had an epiphany. I wasn't meant to be a runner! Period! I wasn't chosen to run. I don't have the God given talent to be a runner. It's as simple as that.

It wasn't me that had suffered the confusion about the whole running concept back on that same track years before. It was my Coach. I now believe that man actually thought that I had the ability to run....Bless his heart...

That was about 26 years ago. I have never attempted to run again, and unless I sense imminent danger I don't foresee it happening in my future. What with my not having any talent for it and all. I do, however, appreciate the effort of the runners I see out on the roads when I am in the car, and I think to myself...Yes sir..they've got a God given talent....I wonder if they know?